Previously the common methods available to clean, inspect, lubricate, adjust or simply observe a bicycle drive train consists of three main options; 1) install the bicycle into one of the many bicycle stands currently available or alternate stable setup, 2) turn the bike upside down on its saddle and handlebars, or 3) Lean the bicycle against something or have someone hold the bike quasi upright in the “riding position” while occasionally lifting the bike off the ground to allow the rear wheel to turn; enabling forward motion of the drive train. All 3 methods share similar drawbacks. Option 1—typically a bike stand; is the preferred and least hindered of the 3. All known bike stands provide a range of different specifications, improvements, designs, primarily developed and enhanced to support the bicycle and or to improve “portability” of the stand system itself. U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,814 to Workman and House (1999) for instance, improves stability and portability of previous designs. Regardless of stand specifics, they all share a common requirement that the user relies on a hand; either one of their own or that of a helper to turn the crank to advance or “back pedal” the crank as needed. This method is most commonly performed by grabbing the drive side pedal itself (if installed) using a hand and rotating the associated crank arm thus simulating the pedaling effect. This has several serious drawbacks. Firstly, shifter adjustments are difficult to make due to having one hand constantly required to turn the crank while the other hand usually “takes turns” between turning adjustment screws, barrels while also having to activate the appropriate shifter. Secondly, searching for sources of rattles, noises or other general issues is difficult due to a requirement to physically stay in close proximity to the crank—to keep the drive train operating. This is nearly impossible to perform successfully if a perceived noise only presents itself during high speed rotation of either the drive train itself or a rear free hub body. If for instance a noise appears in the free hub only while free turning at roughly 25 miles per hour or higher, it is not practical to attempt this speed of rotation while using a hand to turn the drive side crank. Nor is this instantly solvable by riding the bicycle if conditions do not allow. Thirdly, cleaning and lubricating the drive train—such as the chain, chain rings and cassette is a labor intensive task made very difficult due to a shortage of free hands.
One common method for maintaining a chain for instance has the user holding a rag around some portion of the chain while the other hand pedals the drive train such that the chain runs “through” the rag. Once finished, the user may apply lubricant quickly in much the same way—by holding a bottle of lube near the chain, allowing drops to fall while pausing occasionally to advance the chain manually. Per manufacturing guidelines—the user typically is instructed to wipe off excess lube to reduce the issues known to too much lubrication (accelerated wear, gumming etc. . . . ). Unfortunately due to the chain lube already being applied directly, excess lube is easily slung or dripped onto the frame and nearby components.
Fourthly and lastly, the current solution of using a dedicated hand to turn the pedals while using the second “free hand” to perform all other tasks is often filthy work. The user must be diligent (either by washing or swapping/replacing of gloves) to ensure that grease, grime, lubricant or other contaminants do not find their way onto the shifter hoods and or bar tape. Popular use of white shifter hoods and or bar tape only exacerbates the appearance issue. Not just unsightly; the lubricant and or grime can easily find its way into the riders' eyes at a later time due to frequent use of the hand or glove as a method to wipe away excess sweat. All efforts to minimize this contamination should be considered good practice. The upside down method of option 2 again relies on the mechanic to turn the pedal as needed as in option 1—thus has the same exact drawbacks as option 1, but with an additional drawback of not allowing shift adjustments to effectively be made. In this mode, the shifter hoods are upside down, operate directionally backward, and may interfere with the ground if there is inadequate clearance. The derailleur hangers are also upside down and may not function with typical tension—making any adjustments moot since the geometry is not the same as what is encountered in the riding position.
The leaning or holding of the bike method while occasionally lifting the back wheel of option 3 has the same drawbacks as option 1 however it has the added drawback of trying to keep the bike supported against the often very strong “spring force” required to physically move either the front or rear derailleur's via the shifter(s). Lifting the bike while also having to use a hand to simulate the pedaling motion does not even enable a single hand to activate shifters or make adjustments for a single person. Given the drawbacks discussed of all three methods currently available regarding bicycle drive train lubrication, adjustments or observation; the best case scenario typically provides either just one “free hand” to perform tasks—or requires a second person and is still overly challenging.